As the Devil's Advocate I would like to take issue with your statement. It may well make a difference to you if enough customers take their business elsewhere.

I agree, if everyone took their business elsewhere it would be a problem. But that never happens. It's only ever the odd customer who wants to kick up a fuss about everything, demanding discounts on things we aren't authorised to reduce, and think that if they mention going to a competitor, it will somehow make me want to back down. The odd customer every now and again threatening to go elsewhere isn't any kind of economic threat to the company, I'm still going to have a job and still get paid regardless of where you shop, so no, after you've been rude to me and tried to bully me into getting your own way, it's fair to say I don't really give a shit where you go.

Also, "I don't give a shit" is, unhappily, a big part of the problem with retail staff in general. If more of them DID give a shit, shopping would be a happier experience.

Don't get me wrong, we do give a shit if customers are decent to us. And by that I mean "show the basic minimum of respect towards us as human beings" so it's not a difficult threshold to reach. If customers treat me with respect, I'll go above and beyond to help them out. If they are rude, then they get the absolute minimum I can get away with without being in trouble.

This is what I mean. Be nice, we be nice back. Give us shit, then we do the basics.

Anyone who gives really bad shit can be banned. Seen it myself both as the victim and other colleagues being victims.

Used to work in a social club and last orders was 10:45 everyday end off and time at 11, The people who would come out at 10:30 and moan that you wouldn't serve them at 11:05 and say 'It's hardly worth me coming in these days as i only have time for one pint' Like i can change the rules of the club for just them

I have been in retail forever but as a part owner and believe me there are some awkward customers about. I had one a few years back who bought in item, had it over a year and along with the receipt came back demanding a refund, which we would have done had she returned the product when she bought it.
The item was still sealed, not perishable or fashionable so I did say that I would take it back and exchange it for something or offered a credit note. She was having none of that, screaming at me, saying she wanted to talk to the boss of the company. When I told her it was me it certainly took the wind out of her sails and even more when I told her to remove herself from my premises and the offer of an exchange was cancelled.

- Customers commenting that when an item doesn't scan "Oh, It must be free!"
- Customers who give a £20 note for a £1 purchase.
- Customers who give money in pennies, then get annoyed when I take a while to count it all (as happened a few weeks ago to me!)
- Customers on their phones
- Customers reading the wrong sign and thinking an item is cheaper than it is, then they get in a strop when told its wrong!

They EXPECT you to be there 24/7
They ask you why the shutters where you work are down and you haven't been told yourself
THEIR shopping, THEIR put backs,THEIR problem. If they don't want it, leave it on the shelf!

Customers that want the box of cereal changed because the box opening has come undone yet the cereal is perfectly sealed in the bag. Why? There are starving people and refusing to buy something like the cereal as above is pathetic

They knock a glass jar.bottle off the shelf and just walk off
Some nob head stood over me while | cleaned a spillage up (I bet it was him who knocked the glass bottle off)
They walk off while you round the back to get something and make an enquired.

God help us floor staff when all bottles're made out of glass and the nob heads start knocking them off the shelf (I'd make them clean it all up and pick the bits of glass up with their fingers themselves and NOT leave them leave the shop until they have done).

They walk off while you round the back to get something and make an enquired.

Oh God, yes, this. The number of times customers have asked me to check out back for something that's not on the shelves then, after digging and rummaging through the pile of crap out back to either get it, or see that we don't have it, they've disappeared when I get back. It's a total waste of my time.

Also couples, or two friends etc who have a small trolley each and walk around the whole store side by side so there's not enough room to get around them. Usually at a snail's pace too! (I can't bear how slow some people move. They saunter around gazing at shelves like they're artworks in a museum. Just get in, get it and get out!). And people who block an aisle while they have a long catch up with an old friend they bumped into while shopping, completely oblivious that people are backed up having to queue for their turn to squeeze through the tiny gap that they've left. The worst was two couples stood slap bang in the middle of a four-aisle crossroads, on a busy Saturday, having a good old chinwag while dozens of customers hovered about trying to see a way through. I eventually went over and said they're going to have to move as they're blocking too many people. I expected an earful but thankfully they did move along.

Groups of mothers with a pushchair each (at least one is a double one) with at least another child each shopping together. Some days they all come in, just one of the mums needs just one item. They clog up the whole self scan area.

Why do the other mums and their kids need to go to the shop together and only one buys something?

Also does it need 2 grandparents, 2 parents, 4 kids and another relative to do a shop?

Shops will be a little more civilised if people shop in smaller groups!!!

I worked in a frozen food shop for many years - one day in the February a woman turned up with a receipt that she'd had since 22nd December; she wanted a refund on her turkey because it had been "off" and spoiled her Christmas dinner. She said it smelt so bad they had to throw it away. Fair enough, but waiting til February to get your money back?! If my Christmas dinner had been ruined, I'd have been there asap after the shop reopened!
So yes, my pet hate is bull5hitters trying their luck!

I had one several years ago pretty similar. They had purchased a deep filled quiche in December from a different branch. Came into our store in Feb with the receipt and a 1 inch section of dried crust to show how filled the quiche was which wasn't filled enough in their opinion and had ruined dinner. Asked where the rest was and they said they had eaten it.

This actually started to turn into a serious arm waving, utter outrage situation the split second I asked where the rest was so for the sake of the 88p just gave them a refund.

I worked in a frozen food shop for many years - one day in the February a woman turned up with a receipt that she'd had since 22nd December; she wanted a refund on her turkey because it had been "off" and spoiled her Christmas dinner. She said it smelt so bad they had to throw it away. Fair enough, but waiting til February to get your money back?! If my Christmas dinner had been ruined, I'd have been there asap after the shop reopened!
So yes, my pet hate is bull5hitters trying their luck!

We had a woman tried to return some school uniform in mid January, bearing in mind she bought it end of August, before the new school year. The reason? Her child grew out the uniform. Kids grow.

People on there mobile phones, put the phone away and concentrate on paying for your items, also people who wait till you ask for the payment then they go searching for there purse or wallet, you have been waiting for minutes get the card or money out before hand

Thought I’d restart this in light of things getting hectic in shops in the run up to Christmas

My pet hate atm is the moany customer who smugly says “I’ll take my business somewhere else” if we don’t give them a discount/freebie/whatever. I’m here to do a job, if you want to shop here then great, if not, it makes no difference to me. I don’t give a shit if you shop at our conpetitors.

Yelling at inexperienced christmas temps because they got something wrong. It happens, everyone has to start somewhere and people are going to make mistakes. Tell us politely, and we’ll gladly fix it, don’t shout and throw a tantrum at the poor girl who just started her first job.

The assumption that I have any say over prices. Yes I get it, some of our goods may be a bit pricey, but what do you expect me to do? No I can’t do “mates rates”, even if we actually were mates.

As the Devil's Advocate I would like to take issue with your statement. It may well make a difference to you if enough customers take their business elsewhere. Also, "I don't give a shit" is, unhappily, a big part of the problem with retail staff in general. If more of them DID give a shit, shopping would be a happier experience.

Having said all that, I don't envy retail staff having to deal with the general public, especially at this time of year.

Things you forget here are:
1. Many retail staff get minimum wage. That is what the company really think of their staff: They pay them the absolute minimum they can get away with without breaking the law. If they could pay less, they would!
2. We do not have the power to give any discounts and just told what to repeat to the customer. Of course we can get them a manager to repeat exactly what we have just told the customer but it is rude of the customer to imply that we don't know what we are talking about and that talking to a manager who told us what to say will change things: It won't!
3. As well as abuse from customers for the absolute minimum they throw at us in contempt we are also abused and treated like scrum by the managers as well. As people leave now, they are simply not replaced and we are therefore expected to do two people's jobs for the same minimum wage they can get away with. So in effect, paying us half the minimum wage. Used and abuse all the way. We have several people off at the moment with mental stress and those of us who remain have mental stress it's just that we are keeping going. Are we thanked? Are we financially rewarded? Of course not! You can walk out with your many years of experience and they really do think that someone else plucked from the street can instantly do your job.

That's what we have to put up with and customers should know and understand this. Why should we give a crap when no one gives a crap about us?

I agree with everything above but especially the BIB.

As I've mentioned before I worked for the caring, sharing, ethical, good for everyone Co-op that was so ethical they only paid minimum wage and everytime a 'pay rise' came up they wanted to remove a perk as a condition.

But one year we were changing over to bar coding and scanning and I was given the task of creating new labels complete with bar codes for all customer saves and Christmas club saved items. I was given a "couple of hours" to do it but after an hour they wanted to know when I'd be done, While I was doing this task I also had to serve customers and help out with the incompetent team members who couldn't do their jobs, constant interruptions. It quickly became apparent that this job was going to take many hours mainly because instead of a bar code description saying something useful like 'Malibu Stacey Dream House' it simply said 'doll accessory' and I was supposed to try and work out this vague detail my favourite was 'Lego' and we were supposed to try and decipher exactly which of hundreds of Lego products that related to.

After constantly trying to explain to not only my manager but the regional manager and the head of (our group of) stores that the task was near impossible for one person and telling them I couldn't cope (seriously I was almost in tears at this point) they just said it needs to be completed within the hour... I was about 20% of the way through it and nine hours in to a "couple of hours" job. When i eventually snapped and shouted "duck this!" and ran out in tears the managers just stood there and made no effort to try and help.

I walked home but had to drive to the corner shop for milk but because I'd also brought a 4 pack of beer to calm me down my brain told me I'd been drink driving! It associated driving to the shop and buying beer adding 1 plus 1 and making 6. I returned the next day and non of the management staff asked how I was. Eventually it took 4 days to complete that simple quick task and even then it was littered with mistakes.

Sounds exactly like my place!
Every job is a 10 minute job according to management but I will open my mouth and tell them that it isn't and get very serious with them as I no longer put up with their crap. They know I could do their job better than they do and regularly make them look stupid.
Our item descriptions on the computer and on the printouts they give us to find these items are beyond a joke. Even the manager agree but no one with do anything about it. The descriptions are so bad it could be anything from a candle to a pair of jeans. If it just said Jeans a blue at least you could start looking for that code in the jeans section and ignore anything that isn't blue but no! Some descriptions are so abbreviated we play a game of guess what it could be. "LS fron Cuffed dim Et" We have to laugh or else we'd screen.
And they give you 3 pages of those to find. If you could go straight to the item then yse it would be a quick job but 2 thirds of the time is spent trying to work out what the hell the item is.

I was given one job of just moving a table full of candles from one table onto another. The manager thought it was a 20 minute job. Anyway, other things came up and I didn't even start the job. The manager had to do it over the weekend and as they are the only decent manager there said to me "You were right! That is one hell of a time consuming job as it took me 4 hours just to move them all and I still haven't sorted them properly".

Another time my manager said that we were going to have to count all the jeans. I said how am I expected to do all that? I did a quick calculation and said "Well Jan (a good fast worker) counted that end table last weed and it take her her full 4 hour shift to do. So lets count all those tables of jeans and of course the hanging and that comes to 36 hours of nothing but counting! I only work here 20 hours and of course you will also expect me to complete all my other jobs as well." I had realistically worked it out so well that the manager just comen't disagree with anything I had said. They come up with these plans but just don't have the staff to do them. And it is worrying that I can see it but they can't and I have to explain it to them.

Thought I’d restart this in light of things getting hectic in shops in the run up to Christmas

My pet hate atm is the moany customer who smugly says “I’ll take my business somewhere else” if we don’t give them a discount/freebie/whatever. I’m here to do a job, if you want to shop here then great, if not, it makes no difference to me. I don’t give a shit if you shop at our conpetitors.

Yelling at inexperienced christmas temps because they got something wrong. It happens, everyone has to start somewhere and people are going to make mistakes. Tell us politely, and we’ll gladly fix it, don’t shout and throw a tantrum at the poor girl who just started her first job.

The assumption that I have any say over prices. Yes I get it, some of our goods may be a bit pricey, but what do you expect me to do? No I can’t do “mates rates”, even if we actually were mates.

Yelling at any staff is wrong. I have said to a couple of them have you worked in a retail environment. They said no and I commented there you go then.

I also hate it when customers go "this is (a price cheaper than my work) at (competitor)". So WTF are you buying it in here then?

All our different sized stores have slightly different things and we often get a customer come in and ask for something we don't have and say "Well they had them in your XXXX store last Saturday!" - So why the ferk, after seeing something in a different store that you want to buy, did you not buy it there and then?!

Thought I’d restart this in light of things getting hectic in shops in the run up to Christmas

My pet hate atm is the moany customer who smugly says “I’ll take my business somewhere else” if we don’t give them a discount/freebie/whatever. I’m here to do a job, if you want to shop here then great, if not, it makes no difference to me. I don’t give a shit if you shop at our conpetitors.

Yelling at inexperienced christmas temps because they got something wrong. It happens, everyone has to start somewhere and people are going to make mistakes. Tell us politely, and we’ll gladly fix it, don’t shout and throw a tantrum at the poor girl who just started her first job.

The assumption that I have any say over prices. Yes I get it, some of our goods may be a bit pricey, but what do you expect me to do? No I can’t do “mates rates”, even if we actually were mates.

Yelling at any staff is wrong. I have said to a couple of them have you worked in a retail environment. They said no and I commented there you go then.

I also hate it when customers go "this is (a price cheaper than my work) at (competitor)". So WTF are you buying it in here then?

All our different sized stores have slightly different things and we often get a customer come in and ask for something we don't have and say "Well they had them in your XXXX store last Saturday!" - So why the ferk, after seeing something in a different store that you want to buy, did you not buy it there and then?!

On a similar note, we get customers that 'claim' that they have bought (product) from here last week and they never shop anywhere else. I have worked at my current place for 10 years now and I know either we haven't sold it at all or past few years

Thought I’d restart this in light of things getting hectic in shops in the run up to Christmas

My pet hate atm is the moany customer who smugly says “I’ll take my business somewhere else” if we don’t give them a discount/freebie/whatever. I’m here to do a job, if you want to shop here then great, if not, it makes no difference to me. I don’t give a shit if you shop at our conpetitors.

Yelling at inexperienced christmas temps because they got something wrong. It happens, everyone has to start somewhere and people are going to make mistakes. Tell us politely, and we’ll gladly fix it, don’t shout and throw a tantrum at the poor girl who just started her first job.

The assumption that I have any say over prices. Yes I get it, some of our goods may be a bit pricey, but what do you expect me to do? No I can’t do “mates rates”, even if we actually were mates.

Ok so i have had a rant at you guys in the other thread ..so now am comig in here to say.

I appreciate you.

And will read this.

I am already a respectful customer. But it's good to read your thread

Happy holidays i know it's a busy time for you guys and perhaps it can dull your spirit to work over the holiday time.